K-Content News

(Movie Review) 'Concerning My Daughter' explores complex mother-daughter relationship

  By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The Korean drama film "Concerning My Daughter" offers a sharp exploration of a mother-daughter relationship, a dynamic often marked by both closeness and complexity.

Based on Kim Hye-jin's novel of the same name, the film centers on Sang-ok, a caregiver at a nursing home, and her daughter, nicknamed Green, a part-time university instructor.

Sang-ok cares for Je-hee, a lonely elderly woman with dementia, with no one to visit her, although she dedicated her entire life to caring for impoverished children around the world.

The mother-daughter relationship is tested when Green moves back home with her same-sex partner due to financial constraints, challenging Sang-ok's traditional values. The mother cannot approve of the relationship but is forced to live uncomfortably in the old house with the couple, having no other choice.

Despite the palpable tension, Green's partner strives to adapt to their new living situation. Tensions escalate when Sang-ok discovers bruises on Green's face, only to learn of her involvement in a protest against the university's unjust dismissal of an LGBTQ+ colleague. Simultaneously, the nursing home where Sang-ok works plans to transfer Je-hee to a more affordable facility due to a decline in donations and her worsening condition.
  The film draws a parallel between Sang-ok and Green, both of whom prioritize the welfare of others over their own. Sang-ok protests the nursing home's decision to send Je-hee away, advocating for her well-being, while Green fights for her colleague's rights even at the risk of disclosing her own sexual identity.

As Je-hee's condition deteriorates, Sang-ok becomes emotionally invested in Je-hee, fearing that her daughter might end up alone if she stays with her partner -- a possibility Green cannot fathom. The lingering question is whether they will ever truly understand each other.
  The film does not hasten to resolve this conflict, adhering to Kim Hye-jin's assertion in the original novel that "it's impossible to understand anyone else completely." Instead, it concludes with the mother continuing to live with the couple, gradually opening her heart to them.

Starring Oh Min-ae, Im She-mi, Ha Yoon-kyung and Heo Jin, and directed by Lee Mi-rang in her feature debut, the film premiered at the 28th Busan International Film Festival last year and is slated for a domestic theatrical release on Sept. 4.